Jet-set Cupcake: Madrid: Day 55: Segovia for the 25th Anniversary

*Though this entry doesn't contain many words, it contains lots of pictures, and that makes up for it. ;)*

My Spanish parents had invited me to their 25th Anniversary lunch party practically as soon as I arrived in Spain and made sure to remind me about it often. And so by the time the day rolled around, I was pretty excited for it! I picked out my outfit the night before. I woke up early to do my hair and makeup. I was totally ready!

I knew it was going to be a good day when a certain song came on the radio on our car ride to Segovia. I was drifting in and out of sleep when I thought I heard it. I wasn't sure - the volume was turned way down and I had only heard a word or two - but when I started really paying attention, I knew I had heard right.

Somehow, he'd done it again. "Tears in Heaven" was playing on the radio - on a hard rock channel no less!

The biggest smile spread across my face and I asked him how he'd done it this time. I joked with him that it wasn't quite as impressive as getting the man to play it in the park as he'd managed to do last summer. But, then, I hadn't actually been in any parks, nor had I heard anyone playing music out in public. This was really the only chance he'd had, and he took it!

Last time it'd happened the very day before L came into my life and changed the course of my entire existence for forever. When I'd heard that man in the park playing the song, the notes overtook every molicule of my body and I could feel that he was sweaping me up and had devised a definite plan for that summer. That I just needed to listen and to trust him. And that's exactly what I did. And it was the best decision I made. But it was in that moment of that man playing his song for me that I realized what I had to do: have faith.

And so when I heard that song on the radio, I smiled, because I knew what he was up to again. And I knew that it'd been a long time since I threw my hands up in the air and told him I'd give him complete control over it all, because I had faith in him and I was beginning to feel lost on my own. Sometimes I try to control the outcome of every little thing rather than give it over to the universe and say, "Hey, I don't really know what to do with all of this, and I feel so overwhelmed, so entrust all of this to you."

Sometimes I like to think he has a big map of all of the possibilities - sort of like a grand "Choose Your Own Adventure" book - and when I give my faith and energy over to him, he gets to pick me up and place me on a journey with the most perfect people for me in that moment that will take me to places and on adventures I'd never dreamed possible but had always yearned for without even consciously knowing. Hearing the song reminded me that I need to take time each day to have a little talk with him and relinquish some of my control and entrust my soul's journey to him. Because he's concocted some of the grandest adventures I've ever been on.

It's amazing how you can have a giant tattoo of an Orange Soda bottle on yourself and still go months without seeing it or remembering why it's there!

Anyway, needless to say, the day turned out to be a hoot. Maria, her boyfriend (Gabi), Maria's friend from Berlin (Kerstin) and I all drove to Segovia and explored a little before and after the party. Kerstin and I hit it off and bonded over a mutual love of obsessively taking touristy photos and of randomly hopping into cute clothing stores without telling anybody. :) We had a great time talking, giggling and exploring!!

The party itself was adorable. There were 22 of us in total all gathered around one big table with bread and wine and a four course meal. :) I took tons of pictures of my cute little Spanish parents and felt like a genuine part of their family. They introduced me to all of the aunts and uncles and cousins and they all warmly kissed me on the cheek and were very nice to me. It felt amazing to be a part of something like that in a foreign country!! I seriously lucked out on getting such an amazing Spanish family and am so grateful to them for honestly being my second family. <3 I was really happy to celebrate with them and grateful for having been invited to something so special. :)